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Recent camera-trap records of Owston’s Civet Chrotogale owstoni and other
small carnivores from Xe Sap National Protected Area, southern Lao PDR.
Article · October 2014
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Recent camera-trap records of Owston’s Civet Chrotogale owstoni
and other small carnivores from Xe Sap National Protected Area,
southern Lao PDR
Thomas N. E. GRAY1*, Khamhou THONGSAMOUTH1 and Andrew TILKER1,2,3
Abstract
There are few published studies on small carnivores from southern Lao PDR. Camera-trapping (39 stations; 4,630 camera-
trap-nights) in western Xe Sap National Protected Area, Salavan province, largely in Hill Evergreen Forest over 1,000 m asl,
recorded nine species of small carnivore including Hog Badger Arctonyx collaris, Large Indian Civet Viverra zibetha and the
IUCN Red List Vulnerable Owston’s Civet Chrotogale owstoni. The latter was the most frequently encountered small carnivore
with 42 notionally independent encounters from 11 camera-trap stations between 1,066 m asl and the upper limit of survey
at 1,492 m asl. Owston’s Civet has now been camera-trapped from four protected areas in Lao PDR, all at sites above 1,000
m asl.
Keywords: Activity patterns, Arctonyx collaris, Annamite mountains, Hog Badger, Large Indian Civet, Salavan province, Vietnam,
Viverra zibetha
Introduction Survey area
Lao PDR has been identified as part of a priority region for Xe Sap National Protected Area lies in southeast Lao PDR
small carnivore conservation (Schreiber et al. 1989) with 21 (Fig. 1) in the Central Annamites. This camera-trapping oc-
species of small carnivores recorded (Duckworth 1997, Co- curred in western Xe Sap NPA, in Muang (= District of) Ta-Oy,
udrat et al. 2014). Intensive camera-trapping has improved Salavan province. The surveyed area comprised Semi-Ever-
the knowledge of the local status of selected small carnivores green Forest (sensu Lamxay 2012), mostly below 1,000 m asl,
in Lao PDR including in two national protected areas (NPAs) and Hill Evergreen Forest at higher elevations. Hill Evergreen
in Central and North Lao PDR: respectively, Nakai–Nam Theun Forest in Xe Sap NPA is characterised by a 20–30 m canopy
NPA (Coudrat et al. 2014) and Nam Et–Phou Louey NPA of Pinus dalatensis, Dacrydium elatum, Podocarpus neriifolius
(Johnson et al. 2009). However, small carnivores in the An- and species of Fagaceae, Lauraceae, Myrtaceae, Theaceae
namite mountains in southern Lao PDR remain little known. and Magnoliaceae (Lamxay 2012, R. J. Timmins in litt. 2014).
This paper summarises records of mustelids (Mustelidae), The only previous small carnivore field records from Xe Sap
linsangs (Prionodontidae), civets (Viverridae) and mongoos- NPA seem to be those from a short direct observation and
es (Herpestidae) from camera-trapping in Xe Sap NPA, Sala- sign survey of the western part in early 1999: direct sight-
van province, southern Lao PDR, between December 2012 ings of Common Palm Civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus
and December 2013. and Crab-eating Mongoose Herpestes urva, and signs of otter
29 Small Carnivore Conservation, Vol. 51: 29–33, December 2014
Gray et al.
least 10 seconds. Triggers during camera setup and removal
assessed whether the unit was operational. All camera-traps
were placed on trees at 20–130 cm above the ground (mean =
45 cm, standard deviation = 25), none was baited and all were
operational throughout the 24-hour cycle.
The 39 camera-traps operated for 86–173 camera-trap-
nights (mean 119) between December 2012 and December
2013 at stations between 613 and 1,492 m asl (mean 1,096
m asl). Elevations were derived from hand-held GPS units in
the field and are given as by the unit, despite the misleading
implication of precision to within 1 m. Notionally independent
encounters with small carnivores were defined as those when
successive photographs of the same species at the same sta-
tion were separated by at least 30 minutes. Species identifica-
tions from the photographs were initially made by KT and all
were verified by TNEG and AT.
Fig. 1. Xe Sap National Protected Area, southern Lao PDR, showing locations
of camera-trap stations during December 2012 – December 2013. Results
Of the total of 4,630 camera-trap-nights, 3,418 (74%) were
(Lutrinae) and potentially of various other genera (Stein- from above 1,000 m asl. No camera-trap stations below
metz et al. 1999). 1,000 m asl were beside streams. The total of 508 notion-
ally independent mammal (87%) and bird (13%) encounters
Methods included 147 (29%) of small carnivores. Many (22 notion-
ally independent encounters; 15% of the 147 small carnivore
A semi-structured design placed one camera-trap (Bushnell encounters) of these photographs could not be identified to
Trophy Cam; infrared flash) within each of 39 1 × 1 km grid species level because of blurring and ‘whitening’ from the in-
cells, selected using a random number generator from ~300 frared flash.
numbered grid cells across western Xe Sap NPA (Fig. 1). Sur- At least nine species of small carnivore were recorded
vey teams visited each cell and searched for 25–60 minutes (Table 1). One is categorised on The IUCN Red List of Threat-
for suitable camera-trap stations. These sought to maximise ened Species as Vulnerable (Owston’s Civet Chrotogale owsto-
encounters with ungulates and ground-dwelling carnivores ni) and two as Near Threatened (Hog Badger Arctonyx collaris
(cats [Felidae], dogs [Canidae] and bears [Ursidae]). They and Large Indian Civet Viverra zibetha) (IUCN 2014).
were along small animal or human trails (22), positioned to Owston’s Civet was the most frequently recorded small
photograph animals using streams (10), along larger human carnivore (42 encounters between 1,066 m and the upper
trails (four), and in open pine grassland (three, over 1,108– limit of survey at 1,492 m asl). Two other taxa, Crab-eating
1,201 m asl). Camera-traps were set to take a three-picture Mongoose and ferret badger Melogale, were recorded only
burst when triggered and each photograph was stamped with above 1,000 m asl (Table 1). There were few records of small
the date and time. Successive triggers were separated by at carnivores from below 1,000 m: only 12 of the 124 identified
Table 1. Small carnivores camera-trapped in Xe Sap National Protected Area, Lao PDR, December 2012 – December 2013.
Elevation (m asl) # (%) of CTN1 # of CTS Y-t Hog Ferret L. I. C. P. M. P. Owston’s S. Lins. C-e
Marten Badger badger Civet Civet Civet Civet Mong.
601–700 244 (5) 2
701–800 333 (7) 3 1 (1) 2 (1) 1 (1)
801–900 319 (7) 3 1 (1) 2 (1) 1 (1)
901–1,000 316 (7) 3 1 (1) 3 (1)
1,001–1,100 526 (11) 5 2 (1) 4 (2) 12 (2) 1 (1)
1,101–1,200 1,225 (26) 10 3 (2) 6 (2) 2 (1) 3 (3) 5 (2) 2 (1) 5 (3)
1,201–1,300 666 (14) 5 2 (1) 4 (2) 4 (1) 2 (2) 3 (3) 14 (3) 2 (1) 7 (2)
1,301–1,400 612 (12) 5 1 (1) 7 (3) 4 (3) 9 (2) 1 (1)
1,401–1,500 389 (8) 3 2 (1) 3 (2) 2 (2)
Total 4,630 39 3 (2) 7 (5) 16 (7) 13 (6) 6 (3) 18 (14) 42 (11) 7 (5) 12 (5)
The figure for each species in each altitude-band gives the number of notionally independent camera-trap encounters (see text) and camera-
trap stations with records (in parentheses). Full English names and scientific names in Table 3.
1
CTN = camera-trap-nights, CTS = camera-trap stations.
Small Carnivore Conservation, Vol. 51, December 2014 30
Small carnivores in Lao PDR
Table 2. Activity patterns for small carnivores camera-trapped in Xe Sap National Protected Area, Lao PDR,
during December 2012 – December 2013.
Species 04h00–06h00 06h01–18h00 18h01–20h00 20h01–03h59
Yellow-throated Marten - 100 - -
Hog Badger 14 43 - 43
Ferret badger 13 - 20 67
Large Indian Civet 23 8 23 46
Common Palm Civet 17 - - 83
Masked Palm Civet - - 17 83
Owston’s Civet - 2 9 88
Spotted Linsang - - 20 80
Crab-eating Mongoose - 100 - -
The figure for each species in each time period is the percentage of notionally independent camera-trap detec-
tions of that species. Scientific names in Table 3.
records, involving six taxa of which four were found at only badger (with Common Palm Civet a close second) in Nakai–Nam
one station each. Theun NPA, Yellow-throated Marten in Nam Et–Phou Louey
Activity patterns of each species (Table 2) matched NPA and Owston’s Civet in Xe Sap NPA. Much variation could
published information: Crab-eating Mongoose and Yellow- result from differences between surveys in precise camera-
throated Marten Martes flavigula were entirely diurnal with trap placement. Some might reflect between-area habitat dif-
Masked Palm Civet Paguma larvata, Common Palm Civet, Ow- ferences, but with each protected area so large and so patchily
ston’s Civet and Spotted Linsang Prionodon pardicolor mark- camera-trapped, vagaries of survey block selection might also
edly nocturnal (over 80% of encounters between 20h00 and be significant. In Nakai–Nam Theun NPA, very little camera-
03h59). The two Owston’s Civet records by daylight were at trapping was in areas with extensive habitat believed suitable
07h32 and 08h17. for Owston’s Civet, although the NPA holds several such areas
(R. J. Timmins in litt. 2014). Some species showed similar en-
Discussion counter rates in the three areas, notably Large Indian Civet
and Masked Palm Civet. Than Zaw et al. (2008) strongly sus-
This camera-trapping from Xe Sap NPA, southern Lao PDR, pected that the latter species’s semi-arboreality might reduce
complements that in Nakai–Nam Theun NPA (Coudrat et al. its camera-trap encounter rate. In Xe Sap NPA the low number
2014) and Nam Et–Phou Louey NPA (Johnson et al. 2009) of repeat encounters at camera-trap stations are consistent
further north in the country. Despite more than four times with this idea of low detectability of the species by standard
the effort (20,452 camera-trap-nights), Coudrat et al. (2014) camera-trapping.
camera-trapped only one additional small carnivore species: All three studies obtained a few photographs (fewer than
Binturong Arctictis binturong, once. Johnson et al. (2009) in 10) of Spotted Linsang supporting the assumption that the spe-
Nam Et–Phou Louey NPA camera-trapped three additional cies, although likely to be under-recorded by camera-trapping
species (Small Indian Civet Viverricula indica and single en- (see discussion in Coudrat et al. 2014), remains relatively
counters of Stripe-backed Weasel Mustela strigidorsa and Ori- widespread across its Lao range.
ental Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus) whilst not detecting The most significant small carnivore records from Xe Sap
ferret badger. Of these three areas, Nakai–Nam Theun NPA NPA are those of Owston’s Civet, the first live records from
has received far heavier direct observation survey than the South Lao PDR. Extensive spotlighting in South Lao PDR in the
other two; it is the only one to have hosted intensive spotlight 1990s did not detect Owston’s Civet (Duckworth 1997). None
surveys (Duckworth 1998). Coudrat et al. (2014), collating took place in the Annamites: all previous Lao Owston’s Civet
all previous records from the NPA, presented direct sightings records are in the Annamites or eastern northern highlands
of three additional small carnivore species (Siberian Mustela (Sivilay et al. 2011). R. J. Timmins (2012, in litt. 2014) found
sibirica and Stripe-backed Weasels and Small-toothed Palm at least two Owston’s Civet skulls in Ban Bhale, a village south-
Civet Arctogalidia trivirgata) and sign observations of otter, east of Xe Sap NPA. The species’s presence in Xe Sap NPA is
whilst skulls confirmed the presence of two species of ferret unsurprising given its Annamite location and the records from
badger (Coudrat & Nanthavong 2013). Recent field surveys in much further south in Vietnam (Dang & Le 2010). To encoun-
Xe Sap NPA have also detected otter by sign (Timmins 2012). ter Owston’s Civet so many times in a generic camera-trap sur-
With a range of methods evidently required for complete area- vey suggests high detectability of the species from such cam-
lists of small carnivores in the Annamites, because other sur- era-trapping. Thus, non-recording of Owston’s Civet by other
vey methods are not yet much applied in Xe Sap NPA, its true camera-trapping surveys is more likely to reflect the species’s
carnivore richness cannot be determined. local absence than for some other species of small carnivores
The breakdown of identified small carnivore encounters that are readily overlooked by ‘standard’ camera-trapping,
across the three survey areas is given in Table 3. Each survey’s such as weasels (Supparatvikorn et al. 2012 and references
most frequently photographed small carnivore differed: ferret therein).
31 Small Carnivore Conservation, Vol. 51, December 2014
Gray et al.
Table 3. Comparison of small carnivore camera-trapping results across three protected areas in Lao PDR.
Species Xe Sap NPA Nakai–Nam Nam Et–Phou
Theun NPA Louey NPA
Stripe-backed Weasel Mustela strigidorsa – – <1 (<1)
Yellow-throated Marten Martes flavigula 2 (5) 4 (3) 37 (16)
Hog Badger Arctonyx collaris 6 (13) 16 (9) 10 (5)
Ferret badger Melogale 13 (18) 20 (7) –
Oriental Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus – – <1 (<1)
Large Indian Civet Viverra zibetha 10 (15) 10 (8) 14 (9)
Small Indian Civet Viverricula indica – – 1 (1)
Common Palm Civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus 5 (8) 20 (12) 13 (7)
Masked Palm Civet Paguma larvata 15 (36) 11 (8) 16 (8)
Binturong Arctictis binturong – <1 (<1) –
Owston’s Civet Chrotogale owstoni 34 (28) 12 (3) <1 (<1)
Spotted Linsang Prionodon pardicolor 6 (13) 1 (<1) 3 (2)
Crab-eating Mongoose Herpestes urva 10 (13) 8 (6) 5 (4)
Total identified small carnivore encounters 124 508 244
Elevation range (m asl) 613–1,492 532–1,942 543–2,288
Total camera-trap-nights 4,630 20,452 8,499
The figure for each species in each survey area is the percentage comprised by that species of all notionally independent
small carnivore camera-trap detections identified to species in that survey area. The percentage of camera-trap stations in the
survey area which detected the species is in parentheses. Sources: Xe Sap NPA, this study; Nakai–Nam Theun NPA, Coudrat et
al. (2014); Nam Et–Phou Louey NPA, Johnson et al. (2009).
Whilst recorded as low as about 100 m asl in Vietnam 1,000 m asl has not detected the species in over 15,000 cam-
(Roberton 2007), all Lao camera-trap records of Owston’s era-trap-nights since August 2012 (WWF unpublished data).
Civet are from above 1,000 m asl. Coudrat et al. (2014) re- Conceivably this might reflect a natural scarcity of the species
corded Owston’s Civet between 1,033 and 1,675 m asl, whilst in this particular area, perhaps in part because of its lower
the single photograph from Nam Et–Phou Louey NPA was at elevation. An alternative, perhaps more likely, explanation,
1,600 m asl (Johnson et al. 2009) and that from Phou Chom- given the relatively large number of past lowland records in
voy Provincial Protected Area, Bolikhamxai province, at 1,100 Vietnam, is that it declined through the sustained, intensive
m asl (Sivilay et al. 2011). Coudrat et al. (2014) suggested oc- hunting there before protected area establishment. Indeed,
currence at lower elevations in Vietnam could be linked to none of the post-2005 camera-trap surveys in Vietnam col-
the species’s preference for wet evergreen forest. This occurs lated by Willcox (2014: Table SOM T3) found Owston’s Civet,
widely at lower altitudes in Vietnam than in Lao PDR, where whereas all those during 1998–2006 did so. In this light, on
it is patchily distributed. There seems to have been no signifi- current knowledge Xe Sap NPA – and plausibly other large
cant camera-trapping effort in Lao wet evergreen forest much tracts of wet evergreen forest in easternmost Lao PDR – might
below 1,000 m. Thus, the lower limit to which Owston’s Civet now be the most important known areas for the species.
occurs in Lao PDR remains uncertain. Captive animals in Ban
Lak-20 in the 1990s reportedly came from the villages of Ban Acknowledgements
Nape-3 (local name, Ban Tongphe) (Duckworth 1997) or Ban Camera-trapping in Xe Sap NPA formed part of the CarBi project of
Nape (King 2002), two villages amid wet evergreen forest at WWF Greater Mekong and is largely funded through KfW Banken-
about 550 m. gruppe and WWF Germany. Additional funding support was provided
Owston’s Civet is categorised as Vulnerable on the IUCN by grants to Global Wildlife Conservation from Panthera, the Margo
Red List. This is based on ongoing population decline, inferred Marsh Biodiversity Fund, the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conserva-
to exceed 30% per three generations (taken as 15 years) from tion Fund and Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, Hong Kong. Work
over-exploitation and habitat loss. Its ground-dwelling habits in Xe Sap NPA is with permission and full support of the government
(corroborated by high detection rates and multiple photo- of Lao PDR. Particular support is from Phoulithat Kaiyavongsa, Khan-
graphs per camera-trap station in Xe Sap NPA) suggest that thalay Thongphanheuangsy and Keophayline Ngonephesay. Akchou-
the pervasive snaring widespread in its range (Vietnam, east- sanh Rasphone, Wes Sechrest and Rob Timmins provided valuable
ern Lao PDR and a small part of adjacent China; Schreiber et comments that improved the quality considerably, and tempered the
al. 1989, Dang & Le 2010, Sivilay et al. 2011) might affect it conclusions, of this manuscript. Cody Schank oversaw preparation of
strongly. Extensive camera-trapping in the Hue and Quang the map. Akchousanh Rasphone prepared, and Sisay Chounnavanh
Nam Saola Nature Reserves in wet evergreen forest at 280– checked, the Lao text.
Small Carnivore Conservation, Vol. 51, December 2014 32
Small carnivores in Lao PDR
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